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Welcome to the first episode of The Extra Mile, a new weekly addition to Runners of HOU! Every Friday, host Vicky Oddi is talking about what’s happening in her own running, the latest running news, and upcoming races and events in Houston. This week, Vicky shares an update on her California International Marathon (CIM) training after completing her longest run in three years. With injuries and setbacks complicating her return to marathon training, an 11.5-mile long run and a surprisingly strong six-mile run have her feeling cautiously optimistic about making it to the CIM starting line in December. Then it’s time for some running news, including a controversial finish-line moment at the Amsterdam Half Marathon, record-breaking performances at the Amsterdam Marathon, the heartbreaking death of runner Grace Nolan, and an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying controversy at the Baystate Marathon, where two runners met the qualifying standards only to discover their times wouldn’t count. In this episode: Returning to marathon training after injury and running 11.5 miles for the first time in three yearsRethinking BQ goals while preparing for CIMCian Gerber’s Amsterdam Half Marathon finish-line controversyRemembering Detroit marathon runner Grace NolanWhy two Baystate Marathon runners’ Olympic Trials qualifying times won’t countThe difference between USATF course certification and race sanctioningThe upcoming Houston Half Marathon & 10KChapters: 00:00 – Welcome to The Extra Mile 00:55 – My longest run in three years: 11.5 miles 02:14 – CIM training, injuries and changing marathon goals 03:36 – A long run that finally went right 05:54 – Recovery and a surprisingly strong six-mile run 07:25 – Feeling cautiously optimistic about CIM 07:48 – Amsterdam Half Marathon finish-line controversy 09:21 – Amsterdam Marathon course record and race results 09:51 – Remembering Grace Nolan 10:35 – Baystate Marathon Olympic Trials qualifying controversy 11:13 – USATF certification vs. sanctioning: What’s the difference? 13:17 – Houston Half Marathon & 10K preview 14:11 – Wrapping up the first Extra Mile Have a running story, hot topic, or Houston running event you’d like me to cover? Send a message on Instagram at @runnersofhou. New Runners of HOU interviews every Monday, with The Extra Mile on Fridays. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

After more than a decade of running marathons, Pattie Peña thought she was ready to move on. The Houston native had accomplished what she set out to do: become a Houston Marathon Legacy runner, break five hours in the marathon, and build years of memories along the way. After the 2025 Houston Marathon, she announced she was done with the distance. Following the 2026 Houston Half Marathon, she decided she was ready to step away from long-distance running altogether. But then a friend asked her to run another marathon. In this episode of Runners of HOU, Pattie talks about going from her first three-mile run at Memorial Park to completing a marathon just months later, the training that helped her take more than 30 minutes off her Houston Marathon time in 2020, and the emotional experience of running a half marathon after losing her mother. We also talk about her adventures in triathlon, the challenges of finding motivation after years of structured training, and why she’s approaching her next marathon differently. Pattie is now preparing for the 2027 Every Woman’s Marathon in New Orleans, where she’ll run in support of a friend who survived breast cancer. It’s a conversation about changing goals, finding motivation, the friendships that running creates, and realizing that sometimes being done with something isn’t quite as permanent as you thought. In this episode: How Pattie went from running three miles to completing her first marathon in 2013Why she kept returning to the Houston MarathonThe training and friendships behind her 4:26 marathon breakthroughTaking on triathlons despite being afraid of swimmingCompleting the virtual Houston Marathon during the pandemicRunning a five-second PR in Houston in 2025Why she decided to retire from marathons—and then long-distance runningThe half marathon that helped her feel connected to her late motherFinding motivation again after stepping away from structured trainingWhy she’s running another marathon in February 2027 Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@run_salutation_ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Sara is back on Runners of HOU, and we’ve got a lot to talk about. First up: the Berlin Marathon. Sara and her friend Whitney crossed the finish line together in 4:33:03 after a training cycle that didn’t exactly go according to plan. She shares why Berlin lived up to the hype, what surprised her on the course, and why this race meant so much more than a finish time. We also catch up on my ongoing struggles training for CIM, the increasingly competitive Boston Marathon qualifying standards, and some of the biggest running stories to come out of Berlin — including an influencer caught cheating and the women’s champion who finished with a ruptured Achilles. Then we’re getting into running hot takes. Are influencers making the sport too expensive? Does every marathon need to be a PR attempt? Is one marathon a year enough? And when is it okay to stop during a race? We wrap up with an honest conversation about something we’re both navigating in our 40s: accepting that our bodies, our paces, and our relationships with running are changing. In this episode (approximate timestamps): 00:00 — Welcome back, Sara! Berlin Marathon recap 04:30 — Running for Heaven’s 27 and honoring her dad 09:00 — Berlin crowds, race-day logistics, and surprises 25:00 — My CIM training struggles and learning to adjust expectations 47:30 — The Berlin Marathon cheating controversy 54:00 — Boston qualifying: Has it gotten too difficult? 1:01:00 — Tigest Assefa and the finish-at-all-costs mentality 1:17:00 — Running hot takes: PRs, influencers, marathon training, and more 1:38:00 — Aging, body image, and changing our relationships with running Enjoyed this episode? Follow Runners of HOU on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a running friend who loves a good hot take. These are our opinions. You are absolutely allowed to disagree. In fact, we hope you do. Instagram - ⁠⁠@shudgens⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

What does it look like to have a relationship with running that lasts for decades? Annie Almendarez has been running since high school, but her distance-running story started with a challenge. After a fellow police officer told her Black people didn’t run marathons, Annie decided to prove him wrong. In 2001, at 35 years old, she ran her first Houston Marathon in 4:28. More than 25 years later, she’s still running. Now 60, Annie is a Houston Marathon Legacy Runner and a 2027 Chevron Houston Marathon Ambassador. She’s run more than 20 marathons, raced around the world, and watched Houston’s running community transform from a place where she saw very few runners who looked like her to one filled with run clubs and runners from every background. But longevity has also required Annie to change. After a torn meniscus, arthritis in both knees, and a doctor once telling her she should stop running, Annie has had to rethink what being an athlete looks like. These days that means more rest, less mileage, biking and duathlons, listening to her body — and accepting that she doesn’t have to be the runner she was at 35. In this episode, Annie and I talk about training for marathons before GPS watches and gels, becoming an unexpected face of marathon advertising, running while living in China, why the Houston Marathon still feels like home, racing at 60, knowing when to push and when to stop, and why she believes the secret to staying in the sport is knowing your why. We also talk about what running has given her over the years: health, friendships, confidence, community, and proof that getting older doesn’t have to mean giving up the things you love. Follow Runners of HOU wherever you listen to podcasts and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that it’s never too late to start — or to redefine what running looks like for you. Instagram - ⁠⁠@gpdsgt732 Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

“It doesn’t show the effort. It doesn’t show the miles. It doesn’t show the early wake-up times. It doesn’t show the tears. It doesn’t show handfuls of medication that I have to take every day.” For years, Rosa Perez measured her progress as a runner by getting faster. Her first Houston Half took her just over three hours. By 2020, she had worked her way down to 2:25, eventually reaching the 2:17 range. She ran marathons, chased faster times, and learned to see herself as a runner. Then, in 2024, Rosa was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease, an autoimmune condition that changed what running — and progress — looked like for her. In this conversation, Rosa talks about learning to train in a body that no longer responds the way it once did, the heartbreak of dropping out of the 2025 Houston Half, and what it meant to return a year later and cross that finish line with two friends beside her. We also talk about her role in helping build Latinas Run Houston, why representation and community matter, her 3:25 finish at SeaWheeze that means far more to her than the number suggests, and the marathon goal she isn’t ready to give up. Rosa isn’t chasing the clock anymore. She’s chasing the feeling of knowing: I did that. I earned that. IN THIS EPISODE: How Rosa went from casually running to chasing faster times (3:10)How life changes after 2020 helped Rosa rediscover the joy of running (11:54)Rosa’s mixed connective tissue disease diagnosis and how it changed her running (13:36)Learning to train, recover and race with an autoimmune condition (18:39)The 2025 Houston Half DNF that made Rosa wonder if she’d ever race again (22:11)Why Houston Race Weekend means so much to her (26:01)Returning to the Houston Half in 2026 and making it to the finish line (32:44)Helping build Latinas Run Houston and creating a place where runners feel represented (36:08)Destination racing, SeaWheeze and Rosa’s husband’s surprise first half marathon (40:48)Why Rosa’s 3:25 SeaWheeze finish tells almost none of the story (43:27)How her relationship with running has changed at 40 (50:21)Why she’s returning to the marathon — and what she’s chasing now (52:26)What running has taught Rosa about her body, gratitude and community (56:54)The biggest thing running has given her that has nothing to do with pace (1:00:53)Rosa’s advice for new runners: Don’t fall into the comparison game (1:05:01)ABOUT ROSA: Rosa Perez is a Houston runner, marketer and one of the women who helped establish the Houston chapter of Latinas Run. She has been running for more than a decade and has completed three marathons and 25 half marathons. After being diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease in 2024, she has had to redefine what training, racing and progress look like — but she isn’t finished. Rosa is currently preparing to return to the marathon distance at Every Woman’s Marathon in New Orleans in February 2027. Instagram - ⁠⁠@roro.runs Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Jamilah Robinson has been running for more than 20 years, but her relationship with the sport has changed through different seasons of life. In this episode of Runners of HOU, Jamilah shares how a nonprofit fundraiser led her to her first half marathon, what it was like returning to the Aramco Houston Half years later with a running community around her, and how running at 47 looks different than it did in her 20s and 30s. Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of miscarriage, pregnancy loss and grief. Jamilah also opens up about experiencing two miscarriages in 2018 and how finding support through her own grief eventually helped lead to the creation of Missing Pieces Support Group. Today, the organization provides resources and community for individuals and families navigating pregnancy and infant loss. We talk about running, grief, healing, finding community, the importance of simply showing up for someone who is grieving, and how Jamilah’s running and nonprofit worlds have come full circle through the Life After Loss 5K & Fun Run. LIFE AFTER LOSS 5K & FUN RUN Saturday, October 17, 2026 9 a.m. Mason Park | Houston, Texas Run. Remember. Heal. The annual Life After Loss 5K & Fun Run brings together families, runners, supporters, healthcare professionals and community members during Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. Participants can run or walk in person, form a team, or participate virtually from anywhere during the month of October. Learn more and register:  https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org/event/life-after-loss-5k-event/ HOUSTON WAVE OF LIGHT REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY Sunday, October 11, 2026 5 p.m. Levy Park | Houston, Texas The annual Wave of Light Remembrance Ceremony brings families and supporters together for an evening of remembrance, hope and healing honoring babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss and other forms of pregnancy and infant loss. The event is presented by Missing Pieces Support Group in partnership with The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, March of Dimes, Harmonie Grace Foundation and Bo’s Place. Admission is free, with registration encouraged. Learn more:  https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org/event/wave-of-light-remembrance-ceremony/ CONNECT WITH MISSING PIECES SUPPORT GROUP Website: https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org/ Facebook - Missing Pieces Support Group Instagram - Missing Pieces Support Group TikTok - Missing Pieces Support Group Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@askjamilah Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Melissa Bittick started running with a Couch to 5K program and a roughly 35-minute 5K. Since then, she’s run 29 marathons, 75 half marathons, qualified for Boston 27 times, and lowered her marathon PR to 3:06:41. In this episode, Melissa talks about how that progression happened, what she’s learned from years of high-volume training and racing, and why she still doesn’t take a BQ for granted. We also talk about being told she might never run again, coming back from injury, racing frequently without treating every race like an A race, training through Houston summers, using the treadmill for long runs, and why slowing down on easy days may actually be one of the most important things runners can do to get faster. It’s a conversation about consistency, longevity, resilience — and still loving the sport more than a decade after that first Couch to 5K. Instagram - ⁠⁠@melissa507t Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Sara is back for round two of Running Hot Takes, and apparently we still have plenty to argue about. This time we’re talking Boston and BQs, downhill marathon PRs, running too many marathons, racing 26.2 without training, the ever-expanding World Marathon Majors, $500 super shoes, running etiquette, who should actually be a running coach…and why your running goal doesn’t always have to be getting faster. Plus: going commando, mid-run bathroom talk, and further proof that runners have absolutely no concept of TMI. These are our opinions. You are absolutely allowed to disagree. In fact, we hope you do. Instagram - ⁠@shudgens⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

A few years ago, Sharde Davis couldn’t run a mile. Today, she’s a marathoner, Black Girls Run Houston run coordinator, and Houston Half Marathon ambassador. In this episode, Sharde joins me to talk about starting over with run-walk intervals, finding a community that made her feel like she belonged, training for and finishing her first marathon in Chicago, and why middle-of-the-pack runners deserve to see themselves represented in running too. We also talk about the reality (and expense!) of becoming a runner, the mental roller coaster of 26.2 miles, pickle-and-Coke marathon recovery strategies, and why Sharde believes you should take your training seriously — but never forget to have fun. Her motto says it best: Your race. Your pace. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shoedooo⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Naureen Malik has been running for nearly 20 years — but her journey from 4+ hour marathons to a 3:11 PR was anything but linear. We talk about how she went from a mostly solo runner making up her own training plans to qualifying for Boston, racing World Marathon Majors around the globe, and chasing a sub-3:10 at Chicago. Naureen also shares how the Houston running community changed her approach to training, why running remains her “me time” as a mom of four, and what nearly two decades in the sport have taught her about bad races, big goals and simply continuing to show up. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@naureenimalk Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

What does it look like to keep getting stronger as a runner in your 40s? Gaby Ramirez joins me to talk about more than 20 years of running, from her first Houston Marathon as a new mom to running 3:49 in 2026. We talk motherhood, burnout, strength training, letting go of the pressure of the clock, finding balance as her kids get older, and why she believes it’s never too late to start — or to keep getting better. Instagram - ⁠⁠@negative_split_girl Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Amanda Schnell has spent most of her life moving — and she has no plans to stop anytime soon. In this episode, Amanda joins me to talk about growing up running in Michigan, finding community in Houston, winning her first 140.6-mile race, finally BQing, running 100 miles in under 24 hours, and her goal of completing a marathon in all 50 states before she turns 50. We also talk about Ironman training and nutrition, balancing big athletic goals with a full life, why she considers herself “consistently inconsistent,” and the philosophy that has kept her going through more than two decades of endurance sports: keep showing up and make sure you’re still having fun. Plus, we debate whether Grandma’s Marathon is actually flat. (It’s not.) Instagram - ⁠@t9erdancr Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Welcome to the very first episode of Running Hot Takes! I'm joined by Houston runner and marathoner Sarah Hudgens for an unfiltered conversation about the opinions runners love to debate. Is Grandma’s Marathon really flat? Do treadmill miles count? Is running actually an inexpensive sport? Are run clubs changing running culture? And why are so many runners trying to cram multiple marathons into a single year? From race courses and fueling to influencers, super shoes, and recovery, we share our honest takes — and don’t always agree. Instagram - @shudgens Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend Jess Mayon for an honest conversation about what it means to be a runner through every season of life. We talk about her journey from a first half marathon to qualifying for Boston, running Chicago, CIM, and a virtual Boston Marathon, balancing marathon training with a demanding career, recovering from burnout, and how running changes in your 40s. Whether you’re chasing a PR, navigating perimenopause, or simply trying to fit running into a busy life, this episode is a reminder that your goals can evolve—and that’s not a setback, it’s growth. We also share plenty of stories from races we’ve run together (including Grandma’s Marathon), discuss why strength training and recovery matter more than ever, and answer the question: Is it ever too late to chase a big goal? Because the runner you become can be even stronger than the runner you used to be. Instagram - ⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

After nearly four years away, Runners of HOU is back. In this solo episode, I’m sharing where I’ve been, why the podcast disappeared, and everything that’s happened since we last talked — from returning to the corporate world and getting married to training for Grandma’s Marathon, taking eight months away from running, and finding my way back one mile at a time. This isn’t just a story about a podcast hiatus. It’s about how life changes us, how injuries can reshape our identity, and why sometimes the break ends up being exactly what we needed. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or you’re joining for the first time, I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s catch up. Instagram - ⁠@runnersofhou⁠ Instagram - ⁠@vickyoddi⁠ Facebook - ⁠Runners of HOU⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠ ⁠Sign up for the newsletter!